With ever increasing frequency, individuals are being kidnapped and taken as hostages and, in order to transport them from one place to another without detection, they are hidden in the trunk of an automobile. In some cases, the automobile is abandoned with the individual in the trunk or the person is simply left in the trunk for long periods of time, with resultant death or serious physical harm due to lack of air or exposure to cold or heat. Up to the present time, no means has been provided for opening the trunk from the interior thereof except by means of tools. Even if available, the average person would lack the necessary skill to open the trunk in the dark.
Conventional automobile trunk locks include a cylinder lock to which is attached a release arm which operatively engages the latch release of the trunk lid latch mechanism. Upon turning of the key in the lock cylinder, a rotation of the arm about its longitudinal axis is effected which trips the latch release to disengage the latch mechanism and open the trunk.
However, the trunk lock cannot be opened from within the trunk for two reasons. First there is no means interiorly of the trunk for rotating the arm and secondly, the construction of the lock cylinder is such that, without rotation of the lock cylinder, the release arm cannot be rotated about its longitudinal axis to a degree which will trip the latch release.
It is an object of this invention to provide an automobile trunk lock which permits the opening thereof from within the trunk as well as by use of conventional key means from outside the trunk.
Another object is to provide a lock of the character described which requires only slight modification of existing trunk locks and the addition of one part, and which, therefore, may be economically produced and applied to new automobiles, or which permits ready conversion of the trunk locks of existing automobiles.
A further object is to provide a lock of the character described wherein key means or the like are engaged with the release arm of the lock within the trunk, and which, by visual inspection by someone within the trunk, would immediately indicate the purpose and manner of actuation to actuate the latch release of the trunk lock mechanism.
A further object is to provide a lock of the character described including a release arm extending from the lock to the latch mechanism of the trunk, and including actuating means attached to the release arm for rotating the arm through an arc to trip the latch mechanism and open the trunk.
Other objects will be apparent from the following description of the presently preferred form of this invention taken in connection with the appended drawings.